1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to window fans, and, more particularly, to window fans with filters, and in greater particularly, to low profile and high volume window fans with filters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Not having a good night sleep is probably one of the single most important factors leading to problems the next day. Many of the factors that affect our sleep are not within our control such as external events that still raise our level of anxiety, but even some things that we think that we have control over can still cause great anxiety such as family issues, money issues, work issues, health issues, etc.
Nothing is more stressful to a person trying to sleep than allergies to air borne agents such as pollen, animal dander, etc. These can cause sniffling, running eyes, coughing, etc. A person who suffers from pollen allergy greatly desires air purification in almost all locations in a home, but especially in the bedroom. Having a sleepless night caused by pollen allergy in the spring is very harmful and upsetting and thus having both purified air and fresh air would greatly aid sleep.
Obviously having a whole house air conditioning system with built in filters would offer the best solution, but this is expensive and many homes can not be retrofitted even if it was affordable. A prior solution to this issue is the use of window fans having some form of filters.
This problem is addressed by some of the products on the market. One attempted solution is the use of a filter mounted in the window where the house has a whole house exhaust fan. One such product is sold by Bionaire® as a window mounted air exchange system called EverFresh®. This unit is mounted in the lower open window area and has several unique and changeable filters therein. But this unit blocks the lower half of the window. This unit is thus not low profile, and it is not high volume since the size of the filters are limited to an open area smaller than the bottom half of an open window.
Several patents were found directed at window fans, but these are vertically mounted and substantially block the lower window in a double hung window. Even with the attachment of filters thereon, by hook or crook, a substantial frame would be required to prevent water entrance into the filter area and hold the filter separate from the window fan. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,035 that has unique filters mounted within the plenums.
A low profile window fan is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,651, but it lacks any filters or even the ability to place such thereon. Its construction allows it to both input air and exhaust air at the same time by the use of two squirrel cage blowers operating in different directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,605 is similar to the above patent, but it does include a pair of filters mounted vertically in slots on the top inside of the fan frame. This patent employs a unique air deflector 36 that is not required in the present invention. Further the size of the filters are limited by the height of the fan and the width. They are vertically mounted as compared to the horizontal mounting of the large filter in the present invention. The above products and patents are incorporated by reference
Accordingly, there is a need for a low profile, high volume window fan having a large filter thereon.